LPGA Star Jin Young Ko Pens Emotional Message Amid Struggle to Break 2-Year Winless Streak

She once ruled the LPGA Tour with unmatched precision, stacking up victories and spending more than 160 weeks as World No. 1. Her swing was studied, her focus admired, and her dominance unquestioned. But in 2025, that once-unshakable force in women’s golf has quietly slipped into one of the most trying phases of her career. The latest sign? A mid-round withdrawal from one of the season’s biggest majors.

That player is Jin Young Ko, the South Korean star with 15 LPGA titles and two majors to her name. She pulled out of the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship midway through her second round. After opening with a 74, Ko carded several bogeys and a double before exiting after 12 holes on Friday. The LPGA later cited illness as the cause, though no further details were provided. It marked a troubling moment in a season that has seen Ko stay competitive but unable to claim a win.

On June 29, Ko broke her silence with a heartfelt post on Instagram, written in Korean and filled with self-reflection and subdued humor. “Life goes too fast to live with only positive thoughts,” she began, acknowledging that even her resilience has limits. She described her mindset as one trying to embrace life’s uncertainty and “do everything even if I’m alive,” adding that perfection isn’t the goal—“It doesn’t have to be a life of 100 points,” she said. “So even if you live happier than anyone with only 80 points, that life is a success.”

The caption, light-hearted yet deeply introspective, was a clear window into Ko’s current emotional state. She mentioned her grandmother’s wisdom—“she can’t get it even if she’s greedy”—and reminded followers of the “aesthetics of waiting,” signaling patience as a form of grace in difficult times. Her tone flickered between optimism and struggle: “OH MY~ IT’S NOT A JOKE,” she wrote, before closing with gratitude, appreciative of people who continue to cheer her on.

Her post comes as fans and analysts continue to speculate about her status after a mixed 18 months of highs and lows. Though she remains a force on the LPGA Tour, her last win came in 2023. And after such a dominant run, even consistent top-10s can feel like a slump in Ko’s world. To understand the weight of her recent struggles, it’s worth revisiting just how competitive Ko has remained, even as wins have eluded her.

Before the fall: Ko’s 2024 & 2025 form

Despite her recent withdrawal, Ko hasn’t been far from elite-level golf. In 2024, she came heartbreakingly close at multiple events, most notably finishing runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and T2 at the FM Championship. She recorded seven top-10 finishes overall, including T6 at the Women’s Scottish Open and T8 at the Dow Championship.

Her 2025 season began on a similar note. Ko finished solo second at the Founders Cup in February and logged top-10s at marquee events like the Chevron Championship (T6) and JM Eagle LA Championship (T7). As of mid-June, she had four top-10 finishes in 2025. Still, the consistency has been undercut by a lack of wins. For a player with her pedigree, anything short of victory raises eyebrows. And the sudden exit from one of the season’s biggest tournaments only sharpened those questions. But Ko’s message makes one thing clear: she’s in no hurry. A slump for Ko might just be a reset, one she faces with humility, humor, and the strength of fans behind her.